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maraudersbutmuggle · 3 years

Text

Autumn 2015. Part 1.

Content Warning: Unplanned Pregnancy.

Lily sat down biting her nails. She was very very nervous. If her suspicions were correct, her life would change forever. And not only hers, James' as well.

Lily took a deep breath and watched the results. There it was, positive. She was pregnant. This was the fifth test she had done in the past week. But five times certainly confirmed it.

"Fuck..." she murmured under her breath.

The soft knock on the door made her jump.

"Lily?" her mother called "Are you okay? Is everything alright? You've been there a long time"

Lily had been sick lately vomiting a lot. She told her mother that she had a bellyache. She thought perhaps it was only that. But not this. Pregnant.

Lily came out trying not to look pale or worried. "I think I ate spoiled biscuits" she chuckled Her mother's expression softened. "James is downstairs" she said "Maybe you shouldn't go out with him if you feel badly"

James. How was she supposed to tell him? He had a lot going on. Fleamont was sick. And James had to take care mostly of his family's company. James had given up his dream to become a professional rugby player to help his parents. Wasn't he sweet? Just the other day, James had been talking about whether or not Sponge Bob and Patrick were gay with Sirius. And now, they might have a baby. Fuck. Lily was nineteen. Just nineteen.

"I feel so much better" Lily lied and went downstairs to were James was.

James Bloody Potter. The very same wanker that asked her out and made ridiculous things for her. The lad she had hated (or thought she hated), was everything to her now. James Potter was everything to Lily.

As she climbed downstairs thinking on what to say or do, she stopped for a minute to admire him.

James was eyeing some of her mother's home decor. Just playing with them. Like a little kid. He thought no one was watching. James was so silly. He tried to grab one and almost dropped all of them. Lily's heart melted. How can someone be so adorable?

"Eheemm" she said biting her lip to avoid laughing. James put everything in order quickly and turned to look at her. He was flushed. Smirking like a fool, the kind of smirk he only got reserved for her. He rubbed his hair. Aarrg! James had no idea what that provoked on Lily.

"What are you doing?" Lily smiled "Nothing..." James said nervously "Sorry... Your house is nice. I was watching your baby pictures... You had bunny cheeks..." he snorted "I was just bit curious and..." Lily interrupted him with a kiss. "Mmm.... I don't know why was that about, but I am not complaining" James was beaming. Lily smirked before kissing him again. She loved the way James smiled when she did that. That's what James did. He made Lily do silly and bold stuff.

She wanted to kiss him all the time.

'That's why you are pregnant' Lily thought. Horny bloody bitch.

She had to tell James.

"Let's go for a walk, love" she said grabbing her boyfriend's hand. James nodded.

********************************

James talked happily about some silly stuff that happened with The Marauders on the weekend. How Peter got so drunk that he started yelling at the orange cones blocking their way. As if they could hear him. But Lily was not listening much...

Pregnant. At nineteen. Lily used to give the girls in Gryffindor pep talks about safe sex as a prefect. Even if she didn't practise sex herself. James was her first one.

Maybe it was at Halloween. When Remus and Sirius made this party at their apartment. Lily had drunk too much. And James had looked irresistible in that Vilma costume. It was Scooby Doo night. And they didn't use a condom. "I'm under the pill" she told him.

But fuck, turned out the stupid pill wasn't hundred percent effective.

And now Lily was at Uni, following her dream of being a journalist. With a possible baby in it's way.

Lily focused on James now. He was still talking about something, that Lily had no idea about. Lily smiled and James smiled back.

"Are you okay Lils?" he asked "Yeah" Lily lied James raised his eyebrow "I bloody know you, darling" he whispered.

Before Lily could answer, a footie ball came rolling towards them. A little kid running after it. James stopped the ball with his foot . The little boy was running and tripped over, letting out a gasp. James and Lily went to aid him.

"Are you okay, lad?" James smiled at the boy with such softness. Lily realized the boy must've been 5 years old or something, no more. The boy was about to cry. But James spoke kneeling in front of him. "It's okay lad, don't cry. Did you hurt yourself?" The boy shook his head. Lily kneeled down with them. "Then it's fine. You have no idea how many times I've tripped..." James continued "I've hit my face with the payment. BAM" he gestured. "Yeah" Lily added laughing "He can be very silly" The boy was looking at them amused. "Yeaah. That's why my nose is funny" James continued "I used to be very handsome" The kid laughed. "You wish" Lily joked rolling her eyes to entertain the boy. "He is very ugly, isn't he?" "Oi!" The little boy laughed even more. Lily's heart melted. And she could see James' as well. They could do this. They could be parents. "I'm James and this ugly girl is Lily" "You're ugly!" Lily pretended to be offended. James smiled. So as the boy. "What's you name?" He opened his mouth but before he could answer.

"Jonah! Jonah!!"

Lily saw a middle age woman came running towards them. "Mummy?" "I told you not to get far away!" she grabbed her son's arm. She looked angry. She eyed James and Lily as if they were going to hurt the boy. "He fell" Lily explained "We were just helping" "Thank you" the lady said reluctantly. "There you go, lad" James gave him his ball. "Thank you, sir"

James smiled. "Let's go Jonah. Quickly!" his mother said angrily. "Your father is waiting for us" Jonah looked sad again. But grabbed his mother hand and followed her. She was practically dragging him away.

James sighed "Honestly, if they don't want children why do they have them?"

'We're a having a kid James' she thought 'Do you want it? Do I want it?' But she didn't say anything, instead she said. "C'mon babe. Let's go for icecream"

Maybe it was the fucking pregnancy hormones. She craved sweet. And a lot of it.

*********************************

The next hour, Lily let James speak. She had a lot going on on her mind. Would James react well? Would he want to be a father? Right now?

"Strawberry or chocolate icecream?" James asked holding both cones.

"Chocolate" Lily grinned

"But..." James said raising an eyebrow "If you have to eat one for the rest of your life?"

"Why?" Lily was already devouring hers

"Hypothetically..."

Lily smiled. Sometimes James was so mature and serious. But others, he still acted like a kid. And Lily loved him.

"Easy..."

"Chocolate..." they both said at the same time.

James knew her too well. Lily laughed, and her boyfriend smiled deliciously.

"But you'll get tired of too much sweet eventually" James added

"That's why you order the sour ones" Lily took a bite from James' cone.

"And we combine them" James kissed her cheek.

James took out his phone and took a selfi of both of them. James made a silly face. He was so happy. Suddenly, Lily felt sick of all the chocolate.

"James... I need to tell you something" she interrupted. James stored his phone. He looked confused. "Okaay...." "What... What would you do if I..." Lily swallowed "If I had problem. Like a big, massive problem" James looked worried. "Is everything okay? What happened?" Shit. "No nothing bad" Is it bad? Or good? "I'm fine, everything is fine" During those times Lily knew that saying things like that brought the worst thoughts. "It's just..." "Lils, please you are making me worry" James said rubbing his hair. Why was he so handsome?

Lily took a deep breath. This was the time. "I'm pregnant" she said.

James' smile disappeared slowly. His eyes widened. And the strawberry cone dropped to the floor.

#marauders era #muggle au #marauders muggle au #james potter #lily evans #jily #james x lily #harry potter

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thistlecatfics · 3 years

Note

How do you feel about James threatening to take off Snape's underwear in front of a group of fellow students? And using that to try and coerce Lily into a date with him? I've seen different takes which included sexual assault (which isn't wrong by our standards, per se, including showing underwear in the first place) to teenage antics. Basically, how do you feel this action reflects on who James is as a person - ignoring the arguments of Marauders vs Snape being "justified" or not. 1/2

2. An aside, where does it say in book text that Mulciber used Levicorpus against Mary Macdonald? (I think I saw that in a discussion on meta here.) I can't find any part of the book that confirms what was actually done to her. For what it's worth, I tend to think of the characters all fighting a small war during the marauder era, and find "who bullied who" discussions pointless, especially in the later years.

First off - I cannot be entirely sure I did not send this ask to myself in a fevered state because this is exactly what has been bubbling around in my head for the past week. (so, uh, that is to say, thank you for the ask, anon.)

Second - everything we get about the marauder’s era is through 2+ unreliable narrators which is why it’s so fun! I just reread SWM and am going to offer a few potential interpretations. I’m very much open to more.

Rereading “Snape’s Worst Memory” right now, the first thing that stands out to me is that it is Snape’s memory but the details around James Potter and co are almost absurdly clear given that Snape is “as deeply immersed in the OWL paper as ever, which left Harry free to sit down on the grass between the beech and the bushes and watch the foursome under the tree.” It’s a little difficult for me to understand how everyone is situated but why are the details of MWPP’s conversation intelligible to him?

A few questions right from the start:

To what degree is Snape’s pensieve memory reliable?

To what degree should we see this as a school-based proxy war vs bullying?

To what degree is this moment an aberration vs typical?

“Snape reacted so fast it was as though he had been expecting an attack.” (hyper-vigilance, trauma-response, training, situational awareness, been listening in - lots of ways to read this)

“Students all around had turned to watch… some looked apprehensive, other entertained.” (everyone assumes something is about to happen)

The initial dialogue (grease marks on the parchment) feels super schoolyard bullying.

Scourgify - choking him, seen described as “waterboarding” very cogently though I’m still iffy on that, but we do know it’s very much the lizard brain not the thinking brain that reacts to that - you’re terrified of drowning like that, wizarding or not. It's quite a cruel thing to do.

“Leave him alone.”

“I will if you go out with me, Evans,” said James quickly. “Go on… go out with me and I’ll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again.”

“Quickly!” is such a useless adverb! There are still so many ways of interpreting that! Quickly as in - he’s said this so many times he doesn’t have to think about it? Quickly as in - he’s not thinking and he says a stupid 16 year old thing which he regrets soon after? Quickly as in - this is fun, almost mutual banter? (doubtful as her earlier statement was said “coldly.”) But also like... what the fuck, James? What the actual fuck?

Ok then Sirius says “bad luck, Prongs” briskly, and Snape reaches his wand. Snape curses James with a spell that leaves a gash across his face “spattering his robes with blood.”

(to be fair to Snape, faces bleed super easily, and a shallow cut on the face will bleed just horribly as any rugby player will tell you.)

Then James sends him upside down. Everyone laughs, and even Lily’s “furious expression” “twitches.”

Then we get the Lily/Snape/James interaction bits - they’re fighting, James undoes the Levicorpus and then the Patrificus Totalus at Lily’s insistence, and then, famously, Snape says, “I don’t need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!”

Sirius gently mocks James “who looked furious now.”

And the scene concludes with:

“There was another flash of light, and Snape was one again hanging upside-down in the air.

‘Who wants to see me take off Snivelly’s pants?’”

Honestly rereading the chapter I was hoping for some clear insight, and my main reaction is that I have a renewed understanding for why there’s so much debate about this memory!

Without any context, the concluding moment, that James feels humiliated over a rejection by a girl, and he then physically restrains another man, shows off his underwear and threatens to take them off in front of a crowd, feels like standard issue sexual violence (in the sort of hazing/bullying type.)

In context, given that we know Snape and his friends are about to be (or already have been) inducted as Death Eaters, a process that involves murder, this feels like a school-based proxy war in a larger fight and while it might be sexualized violence, it’s not so outside the pale as it would be in our own high school context.

Alright now that I have thoroughly confused myself and gotten nowhere, let me focus on the actual questions given.

"Basically, how do you feel this action reflects on who James is as a person"

Badly! It reflects badly!

To me, I see him as your typical Social Justice Bro - he’ll say the right words, fight against the Baddies with genuine fervor, but he still very much sees women as prizes to be won in exchange for his good behavior.

This is SUCH a common type of person and the idea that Quidditch star, wealthy only child, brilliant Jame Potter falls into that trap is not surprising.

I see there being three options fans can take here:

This memory is accurate and representative: James Potter, like many men, fights on the good side but harbors misogynistic views and treats the women in his life like objects and is willing to use sexualized violence against others as a means of asserting his own masculinity.

This memory is accurate but not representative: This is the worst James Potter ever acted. He never behaved this way again. He apologized to Lily. He did his feminist reading. He worked on his own shit. (I think this is the one JKR wants us to take? But who knows and who cares with her.)

This memory is not accurate: Snape, being very smart and very highly motivated, like many people like him, has slowly and steadily edited his own memories to better fit into a narrative he feels comfortable with. (This explains why his recollections of the MWPP conversations are so accurate and unflattering and also why he seems to have done zero healing or maturing in the past 10 years and bullies children. He has been stewing in his own edited memories rather than healing and moving on.)

I can vibe with all of them, depending on what kind of story I want to write/read/imagine.

where does it say in book text that Mulciber used Levicorpus against Mary Macdonald?

It doesn’t. I think I remember the meta you’re referencing (I remember it being very good and interesting!)

“Mulciber! What do you see in him, Sev, he’s creepy! D’you know what he tried to do to Mary Macdonald the other day?”

…

“It was Dark Magic, and if you think that’s funny-”

It’s super vague in canon. I interpret it as an act of sexual violence, because that’s where my brain always goes, but it’s incredibly vague!

Anon, I hope you don’t think the fact I managed to write 1,000 words and weasel my way out of answering your questions means I don’t deeply appreciate them! I hope you have a stupendous evening <3 <3

#hp ///////#hp meta #snape's worst memory #james potter

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